Young Writers Society

This chapter is a little longer so I've had to split it in two-

Ezra rapped his knuckles on Lillian’s bedroom door. “House meeting.”

“What? What for?” she called back.

“Well, if you come down and join us, you’ll find out.”

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Gabriel was already on one of the sofas, his fingers interlaced between his knees and chewing on his bottom lip. Ezra sank onto the opposite sofa, feeling equal parts drained and anxious. Even though vampires were forced to slumber in the daytime, there was still a grogginess in his head like he hadn’t had the right amount of time knocked unconscious.

The two of them had stayed up in the morning close to sun up, just sat there in silence while Ezra swatted at his tears and Gabriel stared blankly into some dark abyss. They had both agreed that Lillian needed to be brought up to speed. She was going to find out eventually through the News or social media so it was best it came from people who loved her first.

A few moments later Lillian entered the living room. Ezra frowned when he spotted Ben lingering in the hallway.

“House meeting,” he reiterated.

Lillian looked from stern Ezra to helpless Gabriel and her natural smile fell away. “What’s going on?”

“Get him out of here and take a seat.”

By the look in her eyes, Ezra could tell she felt his fear and adrenaline through their sire bond. She gulped hard and pushed Ben towards the door. “I’ll call you later.”

After he left, she perched beside Gabriel, tying the cord of her fluffy dressing gown tight around her waist.

“First things first,” Ezra started and jerked a thumb in the direction of the front door. “Is he gonna be staying here every day?”

Lillian gave him a tired look.

“Vampire and human relationships don’t work. Gabriel can attest to that.”

Gabriel’s head jerked up and he pulled a face. “Why you bringing me into this?”

Ezra shrugged. “I’m just saying. What do you see in that guy anyway?”

Lillian lowered her eyes.

“It is nice to build relationships and connections outside the three of us,” Gabriel answered for her, to which she nodded and arched her eyebrow at Ezra.

“But why him? He’s so… beige. And to go from me to him? It’s insulting.”

Lillian laughed. “Oh, so that’s why you’re so against me having a relationship?”

“Maybe it’s the beard. Y’know girls like a man with some nicely maintained facial hair,” added Gabriel, his eyes trained of Ezra’s smooth baby-face. Just because Gabriel was Turned in his mid-thirties and had already grown into his big shoulders, had an appealing sun-kissed complexion due to his Greek heritage and a constant five o-clock shadow despite shaving most nights, it didn’t make him any more of a man than Ezra.

“Okay.” Ezra held up his palms. “First of all, it’d be a crime to cover up this jawline, and second of all, this isn’t why we’re here.”

“You brought it up,” Gabriel grumbled. He was clearly pissed that Ezra brought up Becca.

Lillian looked at them both. “This isn’t about Ben?”

They both shook their heads. She seemed to sink further into the sofa.

Ezra cleared his throat and rested his elbows on his knees, closing the distance between him and his progeny.

“Have you seen any weird stuff on social media the past couple of nights?”

Lillian shook her head. “You know I don’t do any of that stuff.” Fear had crept into her voice. “Why? What’s happened?”

When Ezra paused, she looked to Gabriel. He avoided her eyes. Ezra could feel her unease like a wave between them.

Gabriel shook his head and gritted his teeth. “Something happened-”

“We’re gonna be found out,” Ezra interjected quickly, needing to be the one to break the news. She was his progeny. It was his job to look after her.

“What?” Her brows furrowed.

Gabriel closed his mouth and leaned back, a move to show he was exiting the conversation. Ezra reached out and held Lillian’s hand. She remained silent as Ezra explained everything to her. About the raid. About the vampires being found. About them dying in front of many, many, many humans.

“Now more than ever, we need to be careful,” he said. “I know I give you a hard time about Ben but can you look me in the eyes now and tell me that you trust him not to tell anyone about what we are?”

Her eyes found his, her irises so blue and terrified. Ezra searched them, felt for their bond and knew he could believe her when she said, “I trust him with my life.” She looked to Gabriel, who had been so silent and still throughout their conversation that Ezra had almost forgotten he was there. “I trust him completely. I would have never brought him here, never introduced him to you guys, if I thought he would be a problem. You know that, right?”

Gabriel sat up and placed his hand on her shoulder. “We know. This is just something none of us expected to happen. We need to be a strong unit. A family.”

Ezra watched Gabriel console Lillian, bringing a sad sort of smile to her face. He smiled a little too, because it seemed that, for once, he and Gabriel were on the same side.

“What about the church party this weekend?” Lillian asked in a small voice. “I was so looking forward to it. Are we still going? We always go.”

Shit. Ezra had forgotten about that. Living in a small village did come with its perks. The three of them weren’t big fans of vampire culture, with their sucking on necks and only wearing leather and latex, and places like Hicklesbury didn’t attract vampires looking for the raunchy nightlife. But a downside to being a part of a small community meant that gossip spread like wildfire and if the three of them suddenly stopped going to church gatherings? Well, that would cause quite the stir.

“We’re still going,” Ezra said.

Gabriel looked sceptical. “We are?”

Ezra nodded. “It’ll be a good opportunity for us to scope out how everyone is reacting to the story. If they believe what people are saying on the internet.”

“We do not want to get on the wrong side of these people. Village folk are the worst,” Gabriel pulled a sour face.

“I’ve always found our neighbours quite lovely,” said Lillian.

“That’s because you bake them bread and cakes. Trust me, once they’ve figure out were outsiders, we’re dead. Remember all the looks I got for the first couple of months we moved here just because my skin is a slightly different colour?”

“Yeah, imagine how they’ll take the news that you’re feasting on their elderly,” said Ezra dryly.

Gabriel cut him a look. “I’ve stopped doing that.” Ezra blinked, surprised. He’d actually gotten through to him? “I mean, with Julian. Olive who I care for when her son’s away is a different story. She’s a racist, doesn’t count.”

Ezra sighed and rolled his eyes. So close.

“So, we’re going on Saturday?” Lillian asked, clearly steering the conversation away from the inevitable argument that followed this topic.

Ezra nodded.

“I’ll bake a pie.” Lillian beamed like her pie had the power to solve all of their problems.

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The bar top was already clean but Ezra kept running the damp cloth over the shiny wooden surface. His eyes were downcast but his hearing was tuned into a group of twenty-somethings in a booth at the back of the room.

“Mate, it’s his own fucking fault. What did he think would happen?” said one of them.

“The guy’s dead, Adam,” replied the other.

Ezra’s hand froze on the bar top mid-wipe.

“And like I said, it’s his own fault. After everything that’s been going on? What does he expect to happen? He was feeding the crazy. Might as well have covered himself in chum and thrown himself into shark infested waters.”

As much as Ezra hated seeing Mitch on his phone in work hours, he wished he could check his now and look up what these guys were talking about. He knew it was about the raid. Even though the News were keeping hush about the exploding people, social media was rife with speculations – most of which was leaning towards the truth.

He could feel his throat tightening. His heart, cold and dead, felt heavy in his chest.

“Pint of Carling, please, mate.”

Ezra blinked and looked up at the man before him. He gave him a nod, his throat too dry to attempt to speak.

“The kid was only twenty-two. Probably around your age, right?” continued the man, his smoker’s breath invading Ezra’s nose as he poured his drink. Ezra gulped and cleared his throat, ready to ask him to elaborate, but the man was clearly a talker and didn’t need the prompt.

“That kid that was beaten? Only about an hours drive from ‘ere’. Did you see it on the News? Dressed like a vampire for a fancy-dress party.” The man tutted. “That’s the problem with kids these days. Think everything’s a joke.”

Ezra slid the pint to him and took a measure breath before asking, “How did he die?”

The man blinked at him. “You didn’t see the story? Beat him to a bloody pulp.” The man sucked in a breath through his teeth at Ezra’s wide-eyed reaction. “Yeah, I know. Right there in the street. He died from his injuries in hospital.”

“Did they get the people who attacked him?”

The man nodded. “They said they were protecting their town. They thought he was actually one of them.” He huffed a sad laugh. “This news story is gonna be a breeding ground for those kinds of people. Y’know, the conspiracy theorists? Those who just desperately want something interesting to be going on they just jump on whatever fad they can.”

“You think that’s all this is? The vampire thing? A fad?”

The man shrugged and stuck his hand in his pocket. “Seems a bit far-fetched to me but I haven’t left this village in twenty years, I’m not exactly well up on what is or isn’t out there. What do I owe you?”

“Three fifty.”

The man paid him and took his drink. “I think we’ll be safe here. We stick together.” He winked and left to take a seat on a table alone.

Ezra placed his palms on the bar, bent his head down and tried to calm the erratic energy that coursed through him. His heart didn’t beat, his breath didn’t quicken – the tell-tale signs of a human having a panic attack. No, for vampires, it was their energy that altered. Like static zapping in his veins. He felt restless.

We stick together, the man’s voice rattled in his brain. Yes, that’s what I’m afraid of.